Chapter 6: A New Friend

"Rowf!"

"Shh!" I whispered harshly as I stuffed the creator of the loud animalistic noise into my suspiciously large bag, which was a brown leather messenger bag that was strapped to my right shoulder. My ears picked up on the chatter of voices around the corner, and I quietly cursed and made a turn backwards. I sprinted to the far end of the hallway and grabbed the end of the corner, making a turn and slamming my shoulder into the wall as I hid at the end of the wall. My breathing began to lighten up, becoming shallower and shallower as I heard the voices pass by the hallway. When the voices faded out of my edge of hearing, I let out a faint sigh and looked back into my bag.

Inside, a single blue Dogoo stared back up at me with an adorable smile as it wagged its ears and tail in its own excitement. I felt a stupid grin creep onto my own face as I laid eyes on the creature, and I re-zipped the bag.

It has already been a day since I had begun to live in the Basilicom. IF and Compa seemed a bit sad to see me leave, but Histoire seemed to have told them a good enough reason for me to stay around the Basilicom. Compa had been kind enough to pack me a lunchbox full of food good for a whole week in the event of the staff food being disagreeable, and she had offered to cook for me whenever I was to visit. The offer was very kind of her, and I told her I would take her up on it whenever I was nearby. IF just remained mostly silent as I was saying goodbye, which seemed a bit strange to me.

I would have liked to live there a bit longer...

But in my haste, I had forgotten something important. Or rather, someone.

Ever since my sudden appearance, there had been that lone little Dogoo I had somehow managed to befriend in the mysterious forest. And when I had lived in IF's and Compa's house, he had been staying somewhere I couldn't recall. I think that Compa had a little doghouse her grandfather had left to rot, and that she had let the Dogoo stay there for the meantime.

But I hadn't been keeping him as my companion, so I hadn't exactly been bringing around the Dogoo with me everywhere I had went. Especially in the incident with the Ancient Dragon? He'd have died in the middle of that.

And now that I was living here, there was somewhere safe for the Dogoo to live again.

I had already consulted Neptune and Nepgear on this matter, but they had told me yesterday that pets of any kind were not allowed on the Basilicom premises. And they definitely would veto the presence of a monster within a goddess' home, so negotiating was out of the question.

And so, I was smuggling him as per Neptune and Nepgear's suggestion.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door opening behind me. I quickly grabbed the edge of the corner and used it as a spring, throwing myself at the far wall of the hallway. Once I hit it leg first, I redirected myself and jumped into the hallway I had just hidden from, rolling and slamming my back into the wall to hide my figure.

I heard more voices of staff workers, and I listened carefully as they began to walk away. Once their voices became inaudible, I stood back up and began sprinting.

Thanks to practicing architecture in school back on Earth several months ago, I had managed to memorize the layout of the Basilicom yesterday. I knew which bend led to which hallway and what that hallway led to. As I sprinted down seeming similar halls in my attempt to sneak around the staff, I quickly rounded another corner and found myself facing a set of stairs.

I began scaling it three steps at a time, launching myself with a little jump each time I smashed my foot into the purple tiled steps. I kept my jumping bag close to my body so that it would not make movements that would upset the occupant. I hit the top of the stairs and began running for my room.

Unbelievably, there was a whole unused floor in the Basilicom that had been ignored for the whole of its lifespan that they had let me use to my liking. The door was a bit old, but it fulfilled its purpose as I swung it open on old oiled hinges that made a little metallic creak as I entered the massive room and closed it behind me.

The whole floor was a single room, so I had a tremendous amount of space to move around in. The entire room's farther walls were made of glass, so I could see the outside world without having to bother with going outside of pulling up window blinds. Best of all, there was an option of having the glass becoming tinted and filtered so that no one could see me if I didn't want them to.

The whole floor was carpeted with a lush carpet of dark purple accented with shades of royal blue, soft to the feet when one decidedly removes their shoes to feel it on their soles. The floor itself was made of light purple tiles made of ceramics of some sort, cool to the touch but not too cold. The ceiling, made of lilac-painted wood, was decorated with various ceiling ornaments like a chandelier-lamp and a few scattered lights here and there.

A ways off to my right, I saw a massive black couch the size of two beds with cushions the size of a normal pillow facing towards a massive LCD screen television hooked up to several gaming systems. When I looked at the cabinets near the television, there was a massive game library within it.

I knelt down gently and placed the bag carefully onto the floor, unzipping it as I did. Immediately, the Dogoo jumped out of the bag and landed onto the carpet, beginning to roll over and lounge around in the carpet as I smiled to myself and stood back up. I walked over to the door, where a nice set of hooks was set, and I hung the bag there.

I walked over to the left, where more than a few massive wooden closets larger than a normal refrigerator were waiting for me. I walked over to one of them and opened it up, surveying the clothes hung on clothing racks inside. I looked at the mirror nearby, eyeing my still tattered clothes from the fight yesterday.

Come to think of it, I hadn't even taken a shower yet. I sniffed my armpits in self-consciousness, and I detected the faint scent of sweat. I narrowed my eyebrows and walked out of the walk-in wardrobe, striding across the room towards the bathroom.

I opened the large aqua-blue door and I peered inside, marvelling the cleanliness I had managed to preserve in my one-day stay.

The floor tiles were a clean and pristine white colour, shining almost blindingly when the ceiling lights struck them. I focused on the fact that it was bigger than a normal room, and I couldn't help but smile stupidly to myself. There was no bathtub, only a massive Jacuzzi that could be mistaken for a manmade hot spring along with an array of wooden stools in front of mirrors that could be used for washing oneself. There were also shower heads next to every mirror, and small racks for soap and shampoo and anything else one might need.

I removed my clothes hastily and tossed them into the nearby laundry basket carelessly before striding into the room in my birthday suit. I stretched my back and lowered myself into the already soothingly warm jacuzzi water and felt all of my previous tension and energy begin to melt into the gentle water. I felt a relaxed smile spread onto my face and I leaned back onto the edge of the jacuzzi.

Today was a weird day, that's for sure.

I felt my troubles and my stress being absorbed into the warm water that surrounded me, and that filled me with a sense of ease and calm. I felt my drowsiness slowly begin to creep inside my mind, which I batted away in stubbornness while I fought to stay conscious. After time passed, minutes uncounted, I felt the steam and the mist begin to make me feel a tad dizzy. Steadying myself by gripping the edges of the Jacuzzi, I stood up and out of the water before taking a single, large and cautious step out of the bath and onto the bathroom floor. As I turned off the heater and the lights, I stepped out of the bathroom and walked towards the massive closets that were stored on another side of the room.

I walked through the door, beholding the array of closets spread out in front of me. I swivelled one of the doors open, and I watched as clothing rack after clothing rack revealed their contents to me. Various kinds of clothes, of both male and female intention, were laid out in a neat and orderly manner. I brushed past a ball gown and a tuxedo that was next to a Western Cowboy styled outfit complete with a ten-gallon hat and browsed more of the contents, still clothed in nothing but a single lilac towel that wrapped itself around my waist. My hand ran around a fur coat and stopped when I felt smooth and comfortable material that seemed wearable for someone like me, and I grabbed the sleeve and pulled it out unceremoniously.

I was staring at a dark red smooth leather coat that had midnight black cuffs. When I tried lifing it up, it was extremely heavy even for my trained muscles. I liked how the look was, though, so I placed it onto my shoulder and kept browsing the contents of the closet. I drifted to the next door and opened it, revealing another sea of cloth. I looked inside, braving the intense amount of dust that the rummaging was kicking up. I spotted an interesting pair of black pants with crimson highlights, and I removed it off of its hangar and hung it over my arm before closing the door and opening the drawer nearest to me. Strangely, it was filled with large amount of clean underwear, and I pulled out a pair of boxers and placed that onto my pants before looking around.

There was obviously a specific layout to these closets, in hindsight.

I walked over to one of the ones on the left and opened it, and I glared at the sight of innumerable shirts being displayed before me. I looked around the closet and sighed in defeat before grabbing a simple black t-shirt from the rows and closing the door. I put on the clothes, grimacing in a slight bit of regret when I felt the intense weight of the coat weigh down my shoulders and assault my back. I stretched my neck to the sides as I looked over my old shoes in the corner.

They were nice black sneakers with a white base when I had bought and worn them, but the visit to Gamindustri and the battle with the Ancient Dragon has rendered it very haggard and injured. The fabric was already peeling and flecked in several places, and it looked very old compared to how it was a few days ago.

I looked over to another closet and opened it, widening my eyes in surprise when I saw the sheer amount of shoes that was left there in rows. Surveying the army of shoes, I pulled out a nice pair of leather boots that seemed really heavy and I donned them, tying the laces and securing them extra tight.

Out of the corner of my eye as I closed the drawers, I noticed a rack of items that had the word Miscelleaneous on it. As I walked over to it, I saw collections of hats and gloves as well as some more questionable items like gun holsters and sword sheaths. My gaze focused on a very solid pair of dark red leather gloves, and I noticed the deadly looking metal circles on each knuckle. I felt a certain kind of giddiness rise up when I saw it, and I took it off and wore them. They were fingerless as well, so I felt the badass factor increase tenfold.

I walked out of the room feeling like a new person, what with my new wardrobe and all. As I looked myself up and down in the mirror, my mind wandered to the fight I had experienced some time ago.

Disregarding the fact that I had to fight an Ancient Dragon the instant I had gotten it, I had obtained a new weapon.

How the hell do I use it, though?

Judging by what had happened back then, it was a tool that was heavily reliant on my imagination as well as my skill. It also drains my energy whenever I create something, which is a flaw to the otherwise highly diverse weapon. I had even created a very impractical weapon, a sickle and chain, and used it to great effect.

Did it increase my skill with the weapons? I didn't know, and I have not gone to find out if it did just that.

I felt my train of thought suddenly crash when I felt a small and warm object strike me in the back, and I stumbled forward before casting my arms in front of me. I managed to halt my fall by bracing myself against the mirror. When I looked in the mirror, I saw the Dogoo clinging onto my shoulder.

I felt a smile spread onto my face, and I took the Dogoo with my hands and held it to my chest. I felt the warmth spreading through my hands and moving into my body; the warmth of a living creature. I felt some sort of companionship from the small pet I was holding in my hands, and I even began to think the creature in front of me was cute to some extent.

It wasn't ugly, that's for sure. It was probably one of the most adorable beasts in the whole of Gamindustri, based on my experience from the game.

It turned around, still in my grip, and wagged its jelly tail and barked again with that same ridiculous smile on its face. I felt a sense of familial happiness and comfort being placed into my chest, and I hugged it a bit more closely.

I wonder if this is how dog owners feel...?

I suddenly began to feel a repressed memory emerge in my head, and I felt vivid mental images begin to take priority in my brain.

It was when I was younger, and I had a pet dog.

She was a Labrador, the perfect breed for being a kind and considerate pet. She grew up with me, since she was a pup when I was only a baby. As I played around with her, she and I were nearly inseparable friends. Even when I got older, she was still around for me when I needed and wanted her.

Then one day, I decided to take him for a walk while I was jogging.

She ran alongside with me as I took to a relaxed jogging pace, and we just ran like that for a good long while. Doing nothing but enjoying the cool breeze and the light of the afternoon sun, she and I were like brother and sister side-by-side. It didn't really matter when some people would give me some strange looks, since she and I were together and having fun.

But when I was looking away, I'd made the mistake of jogging back onto the street and onto the crossing.

It was a horrible experience.

My mind remembered nothing of how it happened except that it retained some memory of my body being struck and tossed forward, and the feeling of pain as my skin collided and slid across the asphalt.

The next thing I knew, there was blood that wasn't mine.

I remember running over to her in a dazed panic and smoothing over her ruffled golden brown fur that had been matted and dampened with blood.

I remember the smell of metal and rust stained with that same blood wafting in the air as if fate had decided to snip a thread of life with her scissors.

I remember as my young self hugged her to my frame, wishing she wouldn't leave me all alone. I remember people slowly patting my back and my head as the cold and bitter sadness-laced tears traced down my cheeks and drip onto the pool of blood that belonged to my newly departed friend.

I blinked back a few tears as I looked down at the Dogoo in my arms, looking up at me with a smiling ridiculous face as if it had just been greeted on its birthday with a surprise party.

I felt the overwhelming urge to understand it, suddenly.

The vivid recollection of my long dead companion suddenly made me realize that I'd never gotten to see if I could understand her emotions and feelings like she somehow understood mine. And if I were to keep another one like her...I wouldn't make the same mistakes.

I want to understand you.

Suddenly, when that thought rang through my head, I felt my body begin to grow abnormally hot. I felt my head suddenly throb with a dull ache and my limbs go weak, and the room began to spin around me.

I dropped the Dogoo and fell onto the mirror, trying my utter best not to break it into shards. I gritted my teeth and tried to stand back up perfectly, attempting to ignore the sudden strange sensations.

And suddenly, it disappeared.

I felt my eyes blink in surprise as the sudden dizzy spell vanished in an instant. I stood back up straight and looked around, feeling confused and a bit daze from the attack.

What on earth just happened?

I had absolutely no idea how to answer my own question.

As I stood back up and straightened my spine, I felt a foreign object in the middle of my right palm. I brought my hand to my face and peered inside. Resting in the midst of my hand was a small tablet that looked like something that would be medicine.

...why is this here?

I have no recollection of keeping any kind of medicine on my person, and I have no need for any kind of medication. My thoughts drifted to the possibility of the tablet being created by my new ability. I let the thought entertain me for a bit before I let it go and stood back up properly. I closed my fist around it and I looked back to the Dogoo that was staring at me from below. It barked cutely and I sighed and walked over to it, picking it back up and hugging it to my frame.

It only took a moment for the creature to suddenly begin wagging its tail violently and snatch the pill out of my hand. It took a moment for the Dogoo to gobble up the pill, and another moment for the fact to register.

Suddenly, the creature in my hands began to shine brightly with a blinding light that shot needles of fire into my eyes. I dropped the monster in a blind daze and shielded my eyes in response. I felt the light and heat begin to intensify and fill the whole room. I felt my skin being heated and warmed up to an intense degree, as if I were standing on the surface of the sun.

And then, just like everything else so far, the light dimmed down and disappeared in a near-instant.

I blinked a few times, letting my eyes adjust to the new brightness of the room. I rubbed my left eye as I looked around. Nothing had changed in the room, no scorch marks or magical symbols that might have appeared for wahtever convoluted reason that would care to explain itself within the confines of this room.

I breathed a sigh of relief and took a deep breath before looking over to the Dogoo.

I felt that deep breath I had just taken exit my lips in the next instant.

"Rowf!"

The Dogoo was still there. Or rather, I guess you could say it was still there.

A girl, around the age of twelve or so, was sitting on the floor looking completely dazed and dumb. She stared at me with the same affectionate expression I had seen twinkling in the Dogoo's eyes a moment ago. She made a barking sound, but now it sounded far more femininely human than before.

Her skin was quite fair, as if she had a complexion that was enhanced with lotion and blessed by nature. Her hair was short, only reaching the top of her nape. Her eyes were a relaxing shade of light blue that lit up with joy and cheeriness.

Oh, and she was stark naked.

I felt the heat rise to my face, and I quickly sprinted back to the closet and opened the doors one by one in a frantic manner. I skimmed the clothing racks at light speed and grabbed the nearest set of feminine clothes and underwear before running back to the living room and tossing them to her while looking away.

"I don't know if you can understand me right now, but if you can, then do as I tell you and put that on!" I said, averting my eyes to the ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing in the room.

No noise was made, but I heard the sound of clothing being put on thanks to the sounds of clothing on skin. Once the rustling sounds had stopped, I took a quick peek behind me.

The girl was now wearing a light blue shirt three sizer bigger than what she really was, and her pants were still unzipped but on her legs.

No matter how I try to make it look, this looks very dangerous.

If anyone were to walk in right now, I would probably be branded with names that would get me sent to prison.

"Err...I need to find Histoire." That was the last thing I said before I ran out the door.

I wasn't expecting it at all. It was completely unprecedented and unaccounted for. I felt my headache begin to throb even more intensely.

I was staring at a little girl no older than the age of twelve staring back up at me with a face that looked like a dumb little infant. Her eyes were glistening as they stared at me with an endless curiosity, like a light blue abyss.

"And so...you're telling me that this girl...was a..." I trailed off as he looked at me with a troubled expression.

"A Dogoo...don't ask me about why. It just sorta...happened." I sighed deeply as he replied, and I massaged my temples in an attempt to make some of the dull ache disappear.

I was now in Akai's new room, after he had called my attention in the midst of my work. He had just slammed the door open extremely loudly, as if a table had been smashed into the floor by a steel wrecking ball. Without a word, he had lifted me up from the table and placed me onto my Tome before carrying me all the way to his room.

I couldn't help but feel like there was a minor lack of explanation.

"What happened, exactly?" I asked him, and he just averted his gaze to the T.V as if it were airing the most interesting late-night anime.

"For no reason, I suddenly felt a dizzy spell and a moment of weakness strike. When it was over, I found a medicine tablet in my hand. And when the Dogoo accidentally ate it...it turned into that." He explained in a tone that clearly implied that he didn't want to waste more than 5 seconds on the explanation.

"That sounds very intriguing. I'll have to record that information for later use, and also to report to the Guild Scientists. Was there anything going on that I should know about? Important phenomena or something?" I asked in reply, writing down the current conversational topic and corresponding information into the tome below me.

"Nothing in particular, really." He said, still averting his gaze to the side. When I took a closer look, I could see his expression was wincing.

Like there was something he didn't want to talk about.

I have no right to ask about anything personal, though.

"All right, then. I'll be taking the Dogoo with me, then. Let's go no-"

"Wait." Akai held an arm in front of my path and blocking me from proceeding. He gazed at me with a very conflicted expression, and I could feel something clashing inside of him. Two sides to a war meeting swords within his body, and it felt very imposing and menacing.

"Is something the matter, Akai?" I asked him politely, turning to face him properly. He lowered his arm and looked to the Dogoo with a complicated expression, one that was layered with a smile of many kinds.

"...is it okay if I keep her?" He asked, and I felt my head fly out the window.

"...for what purpose might you want to..." I was about to interject, but I stopped mid-sentence when I saw an emotion in his eyes. They were filled with protectiveness, yearning and a kind of affection as they gazed upon the small girl. It looked like the kind of face and expression an affectionate big brother might treat his cute little sister. I'd seen that expression many times on Neptune's face, but never one that was so serious and emotionally conflicted.

It looked like something I couldn't help but keep silent at that expression.

"Very well. You shall be responsible for keeping her, and you will be taking care of her as you see fit. However, she is a human now, so please keep in mind the mannerisms that are important for properly regarding a little girl." I said, and I turned around without another word and exited the room. I closed the door behind me, and I felt my back hit the cold wood.

I closed my eyes and let out a deep, longing sigh.

"It must be nice...to have someone you can treat like family."

"Alright, so what can I call you?" I wondered out loud as I let my tired body crash raggedly onto the soft couch. The little girl-Dogoo just yelped and jumped onto the couch next to me and nuzzled my arm. With its new arms, that it was trying to get used to, she clung onto me and continued nuzzling my midsection.

I smiled and placed my hand onto the top of her head, running my fingers through her hair. Her hair was a light mahogany brown, and ran down to the top of her nape. She also had two bangs longer than the rest of her hair, and they stretched down a bit lower than the rest of her hair. They reminded me of the ears that the Dogoos had.

But despite her new body, the Dogoo-girl had no expressions to speak of.

For the entire time she's changed form, she has not made another expression besides her blank and unchanging one. It was almost disturbing, seeing a little girl rubbing her head onto my arm with a completely unchanging face.

"I suppose you can't really help me out here, huh?" I asked her, but she just ignored me and continued hugging my midsection as if it were a pillow.

Maybe she wasn't ignoring me. Maybe she just couldn't understand me.

The monsters can't speak English after all...

With that in mind, I began trying to think of a good name for it. Various different names began popping up in my head thanks to my Japanese blood and culture like Shiori and Kanade.

"Hmm...Yamada? Ayumi? Shino?" I unconsciously asked her, but it continued to ignore me. I sighed and continued my train of thought when-

"HEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYY!" Suddenly, my door burst open and a figure back flipped through the entranceway as if it were the portal to Boogie Wonderland. I had no idea to react as the person who had so rudely barged into my room without as much as a knock on the door.

Launching herself into the air with her arms, she sprung and performed another graceful spin before landing perfectly on her own two feet and shot me a smile and a "peace" sign.

It was Neptune.

"What might my tenant be trying to do without the landlord noticing? Is he trying to elope with a girl young enough to get him sent to prison without trial?! That won't do! But since I am the leader of this nation, isn't the person who should lock the door and swallow the key too big for my throat supposed to be me? Hmm...what an interesting dilemma..." She pointed a finger at me, then began to trail off into her own dialogue. I felt confusion rattle my brain as I witnessed her suddenly sit down onto the floor in a cross-legged position as she lost herself in thought.

Neptune was a random girl. I had to learn to deal with her in person, instead of watching other people deal with her on a screen.

"Err...Neptune? What are you...?" I began, but Neptune suddenly glared at me with an accusing stare.

"Silence, criminal. You have the right to remain silent, and I'll be darned if you don't!" She yelled out loud enough for the Basilicom to hear, and I winced at the loudness of her voice.

"Err...this girl is actually a Dogoo who became human." I said, and Neptune looked at me with this inquisitive look.

She then began to look at me with a face of complete and utter belief, like there was absolutely no reason for her not to believe my words. Seeing that kind of face on her filled me with some sort of guilt, like I'd rather see her mock me than believe me.

It wasn't a very pleasant feeling, and not to mention how complicated it was.

"Oh, is that the case? Well, then that's fine for now since there aren't any ethics rules around here that involve the monsters close by. But be warned: bestiality is not a very common preference around here." Neptune said, wagging her finger after every word."

"Well, you believed me quickly. I'm trying to come up with a name for her. How about it? Mind helping me out?" I asked her, half-expecting her to blow it off and walk away with an absent-minded smile on her face.

"Sure thing! But I don't know much good kiddy names, so I'll be right back with Nep Jr!" With that, she took off through the door while rustling up a strong gust of wind in the process.

I felt a sigh and another smile spread my face wide, but this one was filled with a little more energy than before.

"Hmm...Aoi?" I blurted out.

It immediately got a reaction. The girl suddenly looked at me with an attentive gaze, and it was so sudden that I couldn't understand what had just happened for a moment. She gazed at me with an intense and focused stare that left me almost itching in discomfort, and I placed my hand on top of her head and began stroking it. Immediately, her eyes began to droop downwards and she rested her head on my arm again.

Thinking back on it, I can't believe it just had to be that name.

That was the name of my friend that died all those years ago.